The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and the great outdoors is beckoning.

What better way to get the summer in swing by doing a little garden clean-up?

There’s a lot to take care of if you want your horticultural masterpiece to look tip-top.

There are branches to clip, leaves to sweep and general garden waste to dispose of.

Many of us think the best way to get rid of all this is to burn it.

Bonfires are not the worst thing in the world, after all. The glorious smell and crackle evokes fond memories in many.

Could your passion for bonfires get you in trouble though? There is a chance you could be hit with a hefty fine.

The Derby Telegraph reports that according to the government, there are no laws against having a bonfire - but there are laws for the nuisance they can cause.

Take care over pollution and harming people’s health

You can't get rid of household waste if it will cause pollution or harm people's health. This includes burning it.

There are other ways to bet rid of you household or garden waste though. Try composting or recycling it. Contact your local council to find out how to dispose of garden waste and about recycling in your area.

Wet leaves will cause your bonfire to smoke profusely (Image: Getty)

Make sure your smoke doesn’t drift onto the road

You could be fined if you light a fire and you allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic.

How do I complain about a neighbour’s bonfire?

If your neighbour's bonfires are a regular problem, you can complain to your local council. They can issue an 'abatement notice' if a neighbour's bonfire is causing a nuisance. However, a bonfire must happen frequently to be considered a nuisance.

Your neighbour can be fined up to £5,000 if they don't stick to the notice.

It is considered common courtesy to let your neighbour know you are having a bonfire (Image: Getty)

Think about the time of day

It might surprise you to learn that you can have a bonfire at any time on any day of the week.

Although you might want to think about you neighbours before lighting up at midnight.

If possible, have your fire in the early morning or early evening in a bid to avoid causing a nuisance.

Watch where you put your bonfire

We’ve had our fair share of bonfires getting out of control here in Somerset.

You really do need to make sure it’s clear of any windows, trees, fences or other combustible materials.

Also take a note of the wind speed and direction to see if any embers might be caught in the wind.

Read More

Let your neighbours know

Although not a legal obligation it is common courtesy to let those around you know they’re likely to experience dust and fumes in the air for a while.

They might be relaxing in their garden. It’s not the nicest thing to have wafting around your garden while you’re trying to read a book.

If they have washing on the line, don't light up. Do the right thing and have a word with them about when it will be convenient for them.

You can have a bonfire when you like. Although it's not very courteous to have one at midnight. (Image: Getty)

Safety advice

Don’t burn things for the sake of burning things. It may seem like a simple solution which avoids a trip to the tip but it is also a lazy solution. Recycling bins are often provided for garden waste and many people use waste to make compost. You can also take your garden waste to the local tip.

If you have to have a bonfire, don't include any wet or green materials as they will cause excess smoke. Keep the bonfire to a sensible size and have a hosepipe or buckets of water handy in case it gets out of hand. Plus, never leave a bonfire unattended.

Take care about what you burn. For example, plastics or rubber certainly do not belong on a bonfire.

Read More

Have you reached the final straw?

If you are getting to the end of your tether always make sure to approach the offenders first.

Ask them politely to extinguish the fire or if they could do anything to reduce its effects. They may be oblivious to the problems they are causing.

However, if they persistently have bonfires and ignore your requests, you should contact your local authority's environmental health department who will write to the neighbour and include all the relevant legislation about what they can and cannot do.

Meanwhile, keep a written log of dates and times when the problems arise and take some pictures or video footage to show the bonfires and smoke. Video footage will help your local authority to prosecute them more quickly. People have been heavily fined for toxic bonfires, which are contrary to the Clean Air Act 1993.